Young Barcelona striker Adama Traore has told of his pride at making his debut for the Catalans against Granada on Saturday.
Barca boss Tata Martino fast-tracked Adama into his squad due to a spate of injuries after he had played just four times for the club’s B team, and introduced the 17-year-old for Neymar eight minutes from time.
“I felt very proud after so many years of working and staying at home here in La Masia. My teammates gave me confidence and it’s very easy to play with footballers like [Andres] Iniesta, Pedro and the rest,” he told Barca TV.
“Thanks to them and the coaching staff who showed confidence in me, I was able to relax. Everyone was congratulating me. It was a great joy.
“Now I’ll go back to Barca B and I’m very happy, hopefully not only for this game because I hope to get the opportunity to play more minutes in the future,” said Adama, who learned he is also in the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Ajax.
Adama, who was born in La Maternitat hospital right next to the Camp Nou, has been with Barca since he was nine and comes from a humble of family of Malian descent – his father is a tyre fitter and his mother is employed as a domestic help – and possesses dual nationality.
